Alex Bowman delivered his best performance of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, grabbing a runner-up finish at the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway, but it was anything but a celebration. The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports car was fighting back tears after the race, reflecting on a truly heartbreaking weekend that makes his second-place run feel monumental.
“It Was a Really Hard Weekend”
Just before Sunday’s race, Bowman revealed the devastating news: his dog, Finn, his “best friend,” had sadly passed away. Can you even imagine trying to focus on a high-stakes race after that kind of gut-wrenching loss? Bowman took to social media to share the news, saying, “I don’t know how to say this out loud, but last night I lost my best friend. You only get a dog like Finn once in a lifetime. He was just the best.” Speaking to USA Network’s Dave Burns, Bowman struggled to keep his composure, admitting, “It was a really hard weekend just to get on the plane and be here. … Ready to go home, but proud of everybody on this Ally 48 team for helping me through the weekend. Life is hard sometimes. I lost my best friend, so ready to go home.” That’s just brutal.
An Unlikely Bright Spot in a Tough Season
The second-place finish, behind teammate Kyle Larson, was a huge turnaround for Bowman at Gateway. In five previous starts there, his best finish was 13th, with three finishes of 26th or worse. He even joked, “I suck here, so clearly I had some help.” You gotta wonder if Finn was riding shotgun, right? This entire 2026 season has been a trying one for the 33-year-old. Early in the year, he missed four races after a vertigo diagnosis and ultimately failed to make the Chase. With only four top fives and seven top 10s before Sunday, this runner-up finish was a much-needed bright spot amidst personal sorrow and season-long struggles.
Bowman announced earlier this year that the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season will be his last, after signing a one-year extension with Hendrick Motorsports. Connor Zilisch is set to take over the No. 48 in 2028. Bowman has eight career Cup Series wins, all with HMS, with his latest coming in the Chicago street race in July 2024. For now, it sounds like he just needs to get home and process. We’re sending all the good vibes his way after a weekend like that.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply